Poem: Continue Striving To Pass Allah's Tests Until We Meet Him

 💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

💌 To those Muslims, wherever they are, who are depressed,
Who smile in the daylight yet shed tears when the sun sets,
Who by stress or some souls survive life feeling upset,
And who question their value, assuming they're useless:
~•~
Firstly, you're not useless. Know why you were created.
To worship Only Allah is our life's main purpose.
Regardless of whether you're middle-class, poor or rich,
We all have a mission that needs to be accomplished.
~•~
We were put on earth, this platform of all sorts of tests,
Not for fun and entertainment until we reach death,
But to serve Allah through belief and acts of worship,
Obeying Allah's Laws while trying to pass each test.
~•~
Expect exams where your heart and mind will be tested,
Where you're given countless choices for you to select,
Anticipate trials where things you like must be left
Or sacrificed to preserve justice, truth and logic.
~•~
Don't be surprised if at times you feel so attracted
To some souls who can't be pursued through lawful marriage.
It's part of Allah's tests to be tempted, restricted,
Face challenges and moments where hearts "in love" can't rest.
~•~
But that's the point. Dunya wasn't meant to be perfect.
This fleeting world was designed to examine, depress,
And push us to seek Allah's Help, longing for success
In Jannah Paradise where we can enjoy real bliss.
~•~
So keep praying to Allah even when tired or stressed.
With Sabr, defeat your nafs. Allah's Qadr accept.
Improve yourself, persevere, seek Islamic knowledge,
And pray for Jannah where all your dreams can be granted.
~•~
Wake up daily eager to serve Allah. Do your best.
Recite from the Qur'an often to be productive.
In choosing your close friends be careful and selective.
Leave energy-drainers from those who lie and gossip.
~•~
Read Islamic books and writings which can benefit.
Don't claim you're bored when you have a goal to accomplish.
Live your days and nights in such a way you're rewarded,
So on Judgment Day we're told we did well and made it.
~•~
📖 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar RadhiAllahu 'anhuma narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler along a path.”
Ibn 'Umar RadhiAllahu 'anhuma would say, “If you make it to the evening, do not wait for the morning. If you make it to the morning, do not wait for the evening. Take from your health for your sickness, and from your life for your death.”
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 6053
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Bukhari
📖 Ibn 'Abbas RadhiAllahu 'anhuma narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Take advantage of five before five: Your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your riches before your poverty, your free time before your work, and your life before your death."
Source: Shu’ab Al-Imān 9575
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
📖 Mus’ad Ibn Sa’eed RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "The servant will continue to encounter trials until he is left walking upon the earth without any sin (trials and hardship expiate sins)."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2398
Grade: Sahih

Note: If You Can't Avoid Gossip, Defend The Backbitten

 💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

💌 While some people may not be active gossipers, they are actually participating in gossip indirectly if they remain quiet when surrounded by friends who are talking badly about others who aren't present. It's a lot worse if they're not only listening attentively but they also laugh at the jokes and contribute to the sinful discussion with further insulting remarks about the subject being dissed from behind. To ensure you're not guilty of the major sin of backbiting, whenever some individuals start criticizing an absent person, either you willfully walk away to avoid overhearing what they're going to say, or you gather up the courage to defend that Muslim who isn't around to explain themselves.
The following are some examples of dialogues in which a Muslim is being gossiped about, along with sample responses which you could use if you were to defend the one subjected to unjust ridicule:
🚫 Person gossiping: "Don't you think they're so selfish and kuripot (miserly)? We give them exotic dishes once in a while yet when we visit their house all they offer is water, bread and coffee."
☑️ You say: "Maybe they're financially struggling at the moment. Maybe that's what they can provide for the time being. Or they probably don't know what you want as their guests. Then again, they're not your servants. If you're distributing food to neighbors not for Allah's sake but to receive another dish in return, you might as well contact social services from a different planet."
🚫 Person gossiping: "Whoa, she stinks so bad. Even if she's miles away from us, we can still smell her awful stench."
☑️ You say: "She probably has health issues or she's having a stressful day. I'm sure your menstrual blood, sweat and other fluids you emit don't smell like flowers either. Does describing people's odor make your character better?"
🚫 Person gossiping: "Did you see him finish the whole tray of spaghetti? Wow, he's one greedy dude."
☑️ You say: "Maybe he was starving and didn't have anything for breakfast. Why judge him? Did you switch your profession to body mass counter and nutritionist? Are you being paid for monitoring people's way of eating?"
🚫 Person gossiping: "I strongly recommend that nobody befriends this guy because if he borrows money from you, he never returns it. I tell you, he's a lying thief who takes advantage of people's kindness. Don't ever talk to him again."
☑️ You say: "There could be a possibility that he has tons of debts which he's still trying his best to pay off. I mean, with the insufficient income he gets every week, it's not easy to keep up with his rent, especially if he has two wives and lots of young children. Or he has some sort of memory problem and can't recall how much he owes you. Why not discuss issues with him face to face instead of whining about something he probably didn't intend to do?"
🚫 Person gossiping: "She's such an arrogant snob who acts like she's too good for us and we're not perfect for her as friends. How come she keeps rushing to leave the meeting and she rarely sits with us?"
☑️ You say: "Maybe she's an introvert whose energy gets drained from excessive socializing. Maybe she's very choosy regarding who she hangs out with and she minimizes interacting with you because you guys are known for gossiping, teasing people, and pranking. Let her do what she wants as long as she's not physically injuring any Muslim."
📖 Abu Darda RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Whoever defends the reputation of his brother, Allah will defend his face from the Hellfire on the Day of Resurrection.”
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1931
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
📖 Asma’ bint Yazid RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Whoever defends the flesh of his brother from backbiting, it will be a duty upon Allah to free him from the Hellfire.”
Source: Musnad Ahmed 26950
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Suyuti
📖 Wathilah ibn Al-Asqa’ RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Do not rejoice over the misfortune of your brother, lest Allah has mercy upon him and afflicts you with trials.”
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2506
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to At-Tirmidhi
https://abdurrahman.org/2015/04/26/the-sin-of-listening-to-the-backbiting-and-not-prohibiting-it-imam-nawawi/amp/

Note: What To Do When You're Laughed At By Some People

 💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful

💌 When my family and I were waiting for our flight in Heathrow airport in London, I remember my brothers complaining to me about how two older boys who were around my age (I was about twelve years old that time) were supposedly taking over the children's indoor playground and preventing other kids from entering. Being the protective elder sister that I was, I hurriedly marched into the play area and walked past the two British boys, gesturing to my brothers that it's okay they could go inside. The two white kids immediately left the play area when they saw my hijaab. It was the 90s when seeing Muslim females wearing the hijab around Europe wasn't yet common. I also recall how one woman displayed her shock so obviously when I opened a bathroom stall door and another kid in Denmark who looked at me like he was terrified of my headscarf. Those are only a few examples of several instances when some people reacted surprisedly on noticing my hijaab.

A number of years later Alhamdulillah when I became accustomed to wearing the niqab and black abaaya, the level of people getting surprised by my choice of attire intensified. Numerous times here in the Philippines I've overheard some (morally and culturally ignorant) adults and kids describe me as "ninja" or "molto" (monster etc.). Alhamdulillah the more they taunted and laughed at me for my niqab, the more I actually loved wearing it for Allah's sake, since I have this mindset of understanding that people who laugh at you are either insecurely jealous or they're too idiotic to understand your ways. Unlike some individuals who stop doing something when it causes them to be laughed at, Alhamdulillah my stubbornness and persistence to continue wearing the niqab just increase because Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala is the One I'm trying to please, not His creation, specially not those with erroneous beliefs.

A student who firmly believes that one plus one equals two wouldn't change his answer even if all his classmates were taught that the sum is three hundred. Similarly a biologist who knows that frogs are amphibians wouldn't alter their labels or category if some clowns insisted on classifying frogs as vegetables.

The more you believe in the correctness of your decisions, particularly if you are doing a good deed sincerely to please Only Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala, the more you're unlikely to be persuaded by the negative reactions of people whose perceptions conflict with yours.

Furthermore, if a lot of goths and punksters worldwide are confident enough to demonstrate how loyal they are to their groups and how rebellious they can be with their outfit choices, you too should be capable of dressing differently from those who don't yet recognize Allah's Laws.

💭 Whenever some persons laugh at you for doing a good deed like wearing Islamic clothing and praying in public, keep in mind that:

1) People in general naturally laugh at what they do not understand. If something appears to be odd, strange or confusing to them, a lot of them react with laughter because it's their first time to witness something so unusual, or "silly" according to their tiny level of comprehension. You'd probably giggle, even slightly, if you saw a tall astronaut in a spacesuit casually passing by, or be intrigued by the sight of a chubby person wearing a banana costume. Of course if you're a mature adult who is familiar with various styles of clothing or you have friends from diverse backgrounds, observing somebody dress completely different from you is nothing new.

2) The narration of that incident when some Quraysh chiefs were making fun of the noble Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam while he was praying in front of the Ka'bah is sufficient reminder that being ridiculed for serving Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala is something which all of Allah's Prophets went through. The closer we are to Allah the Most Merciful, the more He sends challenges to strengthen our faith/Imaan, enhance our level of patience, expiate sins, motivate us to prefer Jannah to this temporary world, and elevate our status or station in Paradise.

3) Be grateful to Allah the Most Wise that He didn't make you similar to the people who childishly ridicule and mistreat others. It is better to be the laughing stock who's ridiculed for doing what is right than to side with the unbelievers mocking only to be later laughed at on the Day of Judgment.

~•~

📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The strong believer is more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, but there is goodness in both of them. Be eager for what benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not be frustrated. If something befalls you, then do not say: 'If only I had done something else.' Rather say: 'Allah has decreed what He wills.' Verily, the  phrase ‘if only’ opens the way for the work of shaytan."

Source: Sahih Muslim 2664

Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Muslim

Hadith: Virtues Of Sharing A Hadith/Saying Of The Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam

 📖 Zayd ibn Thabit RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “May Allah brighten the face of a person who hears a tradition from us and he memorizes it until he can convey it to others. Perhaps he will convey it to one who understands better than him, and perhaps one who conveys knowledge does not understand it himself.”

Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 3660
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
📖 Abdullah ibn Amr RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Convey from me, even a single verse. Narrate from the children of Israel (indicating the permissibility to share inspirational stories and motivational lessons from unbelievers), for there is no blame in it. Whoever deliberately lies about me (whoever knowingly fabricates a Hadith), let him take his seat in Hellfire.”
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 3274
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Bukhari

Hadith: Importance Of Sincerity And Doing Good Only For Allah

 📖 Ma’qil ibn Yasar RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: I departed with Abu Bakr RadhiAllahu 'anhu to meet the Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam and the Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said “O Abu Bakr, there is idolatry (shirk/polytheism) among you more hidden than the crawling of an ant.” Abu Bakr RadhiAllahu 'anhu said, “Is there idolatry other than to make another god alongside Allah?” The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “By the One (Allah) in Whose hand is my soul, there is idolatry more hidden than the crawling of an ant. Shall I not tell you something to say to rid you of it both minor and major? Say: 'O Allah, I seek refuge in You that I associate partners with You while I know, and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do not know.”

Source: Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 715
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
📖 Ka’b ibn Malik RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Whoever seeks knowledge to impress the scholars, to argue with the foolish, or to attract the attention of people, Allah will admit him into Hellfire.”
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhī 2654
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Albani
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, “Verily, the first people to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who was martyred. He will be brought, the blessings of Allah will be made known and he will acknowledge them. Allah will say: 'What did you do about them?' The man will say: 'I fought in Your cause until I was martyred.' Allah will say: 'You have lied, for you fought only so that it would be said you were brave, and thus it was said.' Then, Allah will order him to be dragged upon his face until he is cast into Hellfire. Another man studied religious knowledge, taught others, and recited the Qur'an. He will be brought, the blessings of Allah will be made known and he will acknowledge them. Allah will say: 'What did you do about them?' The man will say: 'I learned religious knowledge, taught others, and I recited the Qur'an for Your Sake.' Allah will say: 'You have lied, for you studied only so that it would be said you are a scholar and you recited the Qur'an only so that it would be said you are a reciter, and thus it was said.' Then, Allah will order him to be dragged upon his face until he is cast into Hellfire. Another man was given an abundance of blessings from Allah and every kind of wealth. He will be brought, the blessings of Allah will be made known and he will acknowledge them. Allah will say: 'What did you do about them?' The man will say: 'I did not leave any good cause beloved to You but that I spent on it for Your Sake.' Allah will say: 'You have lied, for you spent only so that it would be said you are generous, and thus it was said.' Then, Allah will order him to be dragged upon his face until he is cast into Hellfire.”
Source: Sahih Muslim 1905
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Muslim